AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 28, 2015

Serena Williams

MELBOURNE, VICTORIA

S. WILLIAMS/D. Cibulkova
6-2, 6-2
An interview with:
SERENA WILLIAMS

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Straightforward win at least by the scoreline. How did you feel about the
match?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I feel I played well. I felt I had to. I feel like when
you're going up against a player like that who is confident on the court -
she just had a few good matches - I knew that I needed to really play well or
go home.

Q. How are you feeling right now? I can hear a little bit of raspiness.
SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, I've felt better, but I'm feeling okay. I'm just happy
to still be in the tournament. I definitely have a little raspy voice.
Hopefully I'll get better.

Q. Is it a sore throat or achiness?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I've been sick the past few days. It's just getting worse
and worse. But hopefully it will start getting better.

Q. Is it a virus? I heard that Lepchenko is in the hospital.
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I heard that, too. Just today actually. Yeah, I heard
it's a virus going around with a lot of the players. I think I caught it,
so...

Q. You were doing some mystical stuff. What was that?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I'm not involved in mystics or magic, nor have I ever went
to Hogwarts. No, every player is quirky and every player has some things that
they do.

Q. Can you talk about Keys?
SERENA WILLIAMS: What do you want? She's playing great. I told her I was
really happy that she did well. She's in the semis. It's good to see another
American, another African American, in the semifinals playing so well.
Regardless, there's going to be an American in the finals, so that is great.
It's also great for me and Venus because we know that finally there's other
Americans that are constantly playing well and playing better, showing that
they want to be the world's greatest.

Q. Is it a relief for you that you don't to play Venus in the semis?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't know. I always root for Venus. At the same time,
she's a very difficult player to play. She beat me the last time we played.
It was a really long match. So I don't know. I mean, I can't say it's a
relief because Madison has a big serve, a huge forehand. She's improved leaps
and bounds. So it's going to be a tough match for me.

Q. Madison has been working with Lindsay Davenport. You and Lindsay have a
storied career. Do you think Lindsay has some insight to give her?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I would hope so. I'm sure she does. I think Lindsay and
Madison have done really well together. Obviously, this is her first
semifinals. I'm sure there's going to be many more, including Grand Slam
wins, for Madison. I think, yeah, it's a good match. And I think they really
just make a good team. Really, nice, easygoing people.

Q. I know you and Venus don't talk tennis off the court very much, but will
you pick her brain on how to face Madison?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Oh, for sure I'll ask her. Also ask my coach, who has been
steering me these last two weeks. I'm really excited to be in the semis. So
I'll see.

Q. Last few years you've been stuck in the quarters and fourth round. A
relief to have gone past it this time around?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, it's finally good to get past the quarterfinals or the
fourth round. I forgot what it's like for this place, for Melbourne, to look
a little empty. Gosh, it's been so long.

Q. Among all your victories in the Australian Open, was 2007 the sweetest one
or proudest because you were ranked 81?
SERENA WILLIAMS: It was definitely fun, I know that for sure.

Q. You beat six seeded players.
SERENA WILLIAMS: Gosh, really? That's pretty impressive. Really? Well, I
guess I didn't know that fact or I must have forgot that fact. I live in the
present and I just try to focus on what I can do.

Q. I think your match against Madison will be the second to play for the
semis. Talk about the different mindset between playing the first semis and
the second semis. What's the experience?
SERENA WILLIAMS: The one thing is you'll get to know who you play in the
final, so you have that in the back of your mind. That's about it. There's
really no big difference. I've played first; I've played second a hundred
times.

Q. Can you talk about Venus' performance this tournament given her comeback
from injuries, how significant and proud you might be of her?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, Venus has played really, really, really well. This
tournament she's had an unbelievable tournament so far, a great month. She
won a tournament, got to the quarterfinals here, and lost in a very tough
three-set battle to a young gun, so to say. Yeah, it is really, really good
for her. A lot of confidence building for her, as well, to know she can go so
far, win so many matches in a row, do so well in a slam.


FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports